Withering attacks this week by television comic Jimmy Kimmel, left, on GOP health care legislation co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have transformed the debate over the bill and illustrated how thoroughly late-night talk shows have changed in the past decade and become homes for potent points of view. (Photos from The Associated Press archive)

Jefferson
remains a reliably conservative Louisiana parish, having given
Donald Trump
55 percent of its vote in the
2016 presidential election
and
Bill Cassidy
53 percent in his 2014 U.S. Senate race. Among those in the minority, the Metairie Indivisible group plans to rally Tuesday (Sept. 26) to salute Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night television talk-show host who has attacked Cassidy's foundering
health care
proposal.

Metairie Indivisible
describes itself
as "a bipartisan, grassroots community of like-minded Metairie residents (and those from surrounding areas), united in opposition to the Trump agenda." Its Facebook group
claimed 600 members
as of Monday.

"As Jimmy has pointed out," group spokesman Paul Anger said, "this bill would not guarantee protection regardless of how much it costs for those with pre-existing conditions, it would kick millions of people off Medicaid and it does not pass the 'Jimmy Kimmel test.'"

That's what Cassidy this past spring called his standard for health care legislation, after learning that Kimmel's infant son was born with a heart ailment and faced expensive medical bills. Kimmel
hosted him
on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on May 8 to elaborate.

Last week, however, Kimmel turned on the senator. He skewered Cassidy and the legislation, co-sponsored by Cassidy and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for three consecutive nights. Cassidy has said Kimmel
doesn't understand the bill
.

Metairie Indivisible said it invited Kimmel and Cassidy to the rally.

. . . . . . .

CORRECTION:
An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect time for the rally.